--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Lewis Carroll, you see, wasn't really…" description: "\"Lewis Carroll, you see, wasn't really interested in telling an exciting story. Well, he wasn't interested in things like cause and effect or a linear n..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/890/james-bobin-13164_absurd_lewis-carroll-you-see-wasn-t-really-inte_1743752.jpg" --- # Lewis Carroll, you see, wasn't really interested in… ![“Lewis Carroll, you see, wasn't really interested in telling an exciting story. Well, he wasn't interested in things like cause and effect or a linear narrative. It's surreal, it's absurd, it's wordplay, it's satirical, it's analyzing itself, it's funny, it's an enormous challenge.” quote by James Bobin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/890/james-bobin-13164_absurd_lewis-carroll-you-see-wasn-t-really-inte_1743752.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/890/james-bobin-13164_absurd_lewis-carroll-you-see-wasn-t-really-inte_1743752.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/890/james-bobin-13164_absurd_lewis-carroll-you-see-wasn-t-really-inte_1743752.jpg) > “Lewis Carroll, you see, wasn't really interested in telling an exciting story. Well, he wasn't interested in things like cause and effect or a linear narrative. It's surreal, it's absurd, it's wordplay, it's satirical, it's analyzing itself, it's funny, it's an enormous challenge.” [James Bobin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bobin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Bobin explains Carroll’s work focuses on absurdity, wordplay, and self‑referential satire rather than linear storytelling. **In simple terms:** Carroll values absurdity and wordplay over plot. Key Takeaway Embrace playful, non‑linear thinking. Themes literature humor creativity Mood playful thought‑provoking Type literary educational When to use this quote - writing workshops - creative brainstorming - educational curricula Key Concepts absurdism meta‑narrative Questions to Reflect On - How does absurdity inspire you? - When is linear narrative essential? A Different Perspective May neglect narrative clarity for some audiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absurd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absurd/) [Cause and effect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cause-and-effect/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Narrative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/narrative/) [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/) [Storytelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/storytelling/) [Surreal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surreal/) ## Related quotes > [I've always thought that Lewis Carroll himself had a certain comedy tinge to him. He was a guy who was a satirist. He really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bobin/i-ve-always-thought-that-lewis-carroll-himself-had-a-certain-comedy/) [James Bobin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bobin/) > [I've always loved 'Alice,' and I've always loved Lewis Carroll. I love his kind of tone and his intelligence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bobin/i-ve-always-loved-alice-and-i-ve-always-loved-lewis-carroll-i-love/) [James Bobin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bobin/) > [Although Lewis Carroll thought of The Hunting of the Snark as a nonsense ballad for children, it is hard to imagine - in fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gardner/although-lewis-carroll-thought-of-the-hunting-of-the-snark-as-a/) [Martin Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gardner/) > [Writers are voracious readers. Once I unlocked the mystery of the alphabet that led to words, a multitude of words connecting me to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-naylor/writers-are-voracious-readers-once-i-unlocked-the-mystery-of-the/) [Gloria Naylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-naylor/) > [“Fantasy is a natural human activity. It certainly does not destroy or even insult Reason; and it does not either blunt the appetite for,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien/fantasy-is-a-natural-human-activity-it-certainly-does-not-destroy-or/) [J.R.R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien/) > [I get so tired of people saying, 'Oh, you only make fantasy films and this and that', and I'm like, 'Well no, fantasy is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-burton/i-get-so-tired-of-people-saying-oh-you-only-make-fantasy-films-and/) [Tim Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-burton/) > [“A boat beneath a sunny sky, Lingering onward dreamily In an evening of July – Children three that nestle near, Eager eye and willing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-coren/a-boat-beneath-a-sunny-sky-lingering-onward-dreamily-in-an-evening-of/) [Victoria Coren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-coren/) > [“My book aspires, as Lewis Carroll’s White Queen so eloquently put it, to believe six impossible things at once, if not before breakfast then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mccord/my-book-aspires-as-lewis-carroll-s-white-queen-so-eloquently-put-it/) Michael McCord > [Epilepsy is a disease in the shadows. Patients are often reluctant to admit their condition - even to close family, friends or co-workers -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynda-resnick/epilepsy-is-a-disease-in-the-shadows-patients-are-often-reluctant-to/) [Lynda Resnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynda-resnick/) > [IN ANSWER TO THE QUESTION: WHAT SCENES ONE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE FILMED Shakespeare in the part of the King's Ghost. The beheading of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/in-answer-to-the-question-what-scenes-one-would-like-to-have-filmed/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [“Lewis Carroll’s Alice In Wonderland. “I can’t go back to yesterday because I was a different person then.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandt-legg/lewis-carroll-s-alice-in-wonderland-i-can-t-go-back-to-yesterday/) [Brandt Legg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandt-legg/) > [“If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there. —LEWIS CARROLL It’s more important to have the will to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demi-lovato/if-you-don-t-know-where-you-are-going-any-road-will-get-you-there/) [Demi Lovato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demi-lovato/) > [“Lewis Carroll is the writer who taught me the sheer delight of falling through a 'looking-glass' of my own!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-rose/lewis-carroll-is-the-writer-who-taught-me-the-sheer-delight-of/) Pamela Rose > [“INTERVIEWER Why don’t you write tragedy? BARTHELME I’m fated to deal in mixtures, slumgullions, which preclude tragedy, which require a pure line. It’s a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/interviewer-why-don-t-you-write-tragedy-barthelme-i-m-fated-to-deal/) [Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/) > [I learned long ago that being Lewis Carroll was infinitely more exciting than being Alice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/i-learned-long-ago-that-being-lewis-carroll-was-infinitely-more/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) ## More by James Bobin > [I love the idea of exploring the Victorian imagination and what Victorians thought the world of fantasy would look like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bobin/i-love-the-idea-of-exploring-the-victorian-imagination-and-what/) [James Bobin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bobin/) > ['Muppets' is incredibly analog, 'Alice' is very digital.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bobin/muppets-is-incredibly-analog-alice-is-very-digital/) [James Bobin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bobin/) > [The thing about me is that my secret passion is history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bobin/the-thing-about-me-is-that-my-secret-passion-is-history/) [James Bobin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bobin/) > [The Muppet Show is very much seen as an English thing. So for us in the U.K. it is one of the treasures of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bobin/the-muppet-show-is-very-much-seen-as-an-english-thing-so-for-us-in/) [James Bobin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bobin/) > [The Muppets are always really positive when they come across adversity, and they always have the ability to see the good in people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bobin/the-muppets-are-always-really-positive-when-they-come-across/) [James Bobin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bobin/) > [My kids were always my test audience. I'd take home the dailies and show them what we'd been filming that day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bobin/my-kids-were-always-my-test-audience-i-d-take-home-the-dailies-and/) [James Bobin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bobin/) > [As a director, obviously you should challenge yourself. It's important, because it's this thing that takes you away from your family for years. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bobin/as-a-director-obviously-you-should-challenge-yourself-it-s-important/) [James Bobin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bobin/) > [Inevitably in any work you do I think that there is a sense of continuity, and I like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bobin/inevitably-in-any-work-you-do-i-think-that-there-is-a-sense-of/) [James Bobin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bobin/) > [Film shouldn't be a pain. It's a creative process.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bobin/film-shouldn-t-be-a-pain-it-s-a-creative-process/) [James Bobin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bobin/) > [You are a product of what you watch as a kid largely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bobin/you-are-a-product-of-what-you-watch-as-a-kid-largely/) [James Bobin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bobin/) > [I am a great believer that your humor is developed at a very early age, and it doesn't ever change. You're basically the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bobin/i-am-a-great-believer-that-your-humor-is-developed-at-a-very-early/) [James Bobin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bobin/) > [It doesn't matter if you're good at anything, just try your best. Then there's the idea that individually they're flawed but together they can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bobin/it-doesn-t-matter-if-you-re-good-at-anything-just-try-your-best-then/) [James Bobin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bobin/) > [I think we live in an entertainment world where performers like to flaunt how great they are. The Conchords don't do that. Even when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bobin/i-think-we-live-in-an-entertainment-world-where-performers-like-to/) [James Bobin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bobin/) > [With humans you would say, "Don't stand over there." and that would probably work. With puppets, you can't stand over there because you would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bobin/with-humans-you-would-say-don-t-stand-over-there-and-that-would/) [James Bobin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bobin/) > [Cable news is 24 hours long so you have to fill it up with something. No, the Muppets are not communist. And the character…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bobin/cable-news-is-24-hours-long-so-you-have-to-fill-it-up-with-something/) [James Bobin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bobin/) [Explore all 51 James Bobin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bobin/) ## More Absurd quotes > [“It seem absurd to me that they don't know, haven't felt any change or tremor, even as my life has been completely turned upside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/it-seem-absurd-to-me-that-they-don-t-know-haven-t-felt-any-change-or/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [When a person’s tongue is extensively wrong, it is absurd, no less than unscriptural, to say that their heart is right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-c-ryle/when-a-person-s-tongue-is-extensively-wrong-it-is-absurd-no-less-than/) [J. C. Ryle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-c-ryle/) > [Every sensible man, every honorable man, must hold the Christian sect in horror." "Christianity is the most ridiculous, the most absurd and bloody religion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/every-sensible-man-every-honorable-man-must-hold-the-christian-sect/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [It is human nature to think wisely and to act in an absurd fashion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatole-france/it-is-human-nature-to-think-wisely-and-to-act-in-an-absurd-fashion/) [Anatole France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatole-france/) > [It is a dangerous and fateful presumption, besides the absurd temerity that it implies, to disdain what we do not comprehend. For after you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-a-dangerous-and-fateful-presumption-besides-the-absurd-temerity/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I thought to myself: if it’s true that every person has a star in the sky, mine must be distant, dim, and absurd. Perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadegh-hedayat/i-thought-to-myself-if-it-s-true-that-every-person-has-a-star-in-the/) [Sadegh Hedayat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadegh-hedayat/) > [If, indeed, a firearm were more dangerous to its possessors than to potential aggressors, would it not make sense for the government to arm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/if-indeed-a-firearm-were-more-dangerous-to-its-possessors-than-to/) [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) > [“You were torturing a cat," she says. "With a freaking prod." "A prod I built myself in metal shop," he says. "But of course…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/you-were-torturing-a-cat-she-says-with-a-freaking-prod-a-prod-i-built/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [I have never heard enough classical music to be able to enjoy it; & the simple truth is, I detest it. 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But solitude also produces perverseness, the disproportianate, the absurd and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-mann/solitude-produces-originality-bold-and-astonishing-beauty-poetry-but/) [Thomas Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-mann/) [Browse all 1,644 Absurd quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absurd/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Lewis Carroll, you see, wasn't really interested in telling an exciting story. Well, he wasn't interested in things like cause and effect or a linear narrative. 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